Snehal G. Patel, MD, FRCS

When head and neck surgeon Snehal Patel meets with patients and their families, he walks them step-by-step through the treatment plan and ensures that they receive the most-effective surgery, when that is the best approach for the patient.

Dr. Patel is a surgeon who has particular expertise in the multidisciplinary treatment of tumors located in the head and neck area. He is especially interested in minimally invasive endoscopic laser treatment for tumors of the voice box and pharynx, with the goal of preserving the ability to speak and swallow. At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, he is an integral member of a team of professionals that strives to provide patients with top-quality cancer care, while also placing an emphasis on maintaining or enhancing quality of life. He recognizes that while curing cancer is the ultimate goal, issues such as the ability to speak and swallow and appearance after therapy are equally important to his patients' well-being. He collaborates closely with his colleagues in radiation and medical oncology, plastic surgery, dentistry and prosthetics, neurosurgery, thoracic surgery, endocrinology, nursing, and speech and swallowing rehabilitation to help his patients achieve this goal.

more…

Dr. Patel has written many peer-reviewed scientific papers on various head and neck cancers and a link to a list of his publications in the PubMed database is available on this page. As part of his personal commitment to education, he has co-authored two major textbooks on head and neck surgery and oncology and written several book chapters. He also lectures at national and international meetings on head and neck cancer.

Dr. Patel has a strong research interest in evaluating the outcomes of therapy and quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer. With his colleagues in plastic surgery and psychiatry, he is involved in several ongoing projects to study these issues in patients who have been treated for head and neck cancer. He also believes strongly in educating patients and cancer survivors about their disease and the effects of treatment. With this in mind, he is leading the group's effort to develop customized educational materials for patients that provide information about their type of cancer and its treatment. His goal is to develop treatment strategies that will improve outcomes for his patients, not only in terms of better cancer control, but also improved quality of life after treatment.

Head and Neck Surgery. 3rd ed. Shah JP, Patel SG. London, UK: Elsevier Science, 2003.
Received the George Davey Howells Memorial Prize from the University of London for the “most distinguished published contribution to the advancement of otolaryngology during the preceding five years.”